Stivale Is Really Closed for Good

A ten-foot granite bar could be yours for a song.Photo: Hannah Whitaker

Another week, another auctioneer’s notice laying bare the great restaurant equipment Circle of Life: On Wednesday, the remaining contents of Stivale (which was once Choptank, before that Bar Q) will go under the hammer at the former restaurant’s home on Bleecker Street. Stivale — which served southern-Italian spuntini, hearty pastas, and housemade bitters — opened in early May just a few months after owner Bobby Werhane launched Spasso on Hudson Street and after a former Choptank partner took Werhane to court, alleging “financial improprieties.” When Stivale closed its doors for business in August, Werhane told Eater he needed to fix some outstanding Buildings Department violations the restaurant inherited from previous operators. [Michael Amodeo & Co., Earlier]